The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-11-16


the deputies was watching him, but just at
that moment the reporter had stopped TO look
in the cell. Lingg, who had been lying down,
partially raised himself in his bunk and placed
something between his lips 1t looked like a
cigar, and when Lingg reached over tor the
candle and placed it to his mouth his only OBJ
server supposed he was merely about to take n
smoke. moment later the explosion dis
pellet that thought.
For n moment everybody in the Jail stood
paralyZed with horror. To add TO the terror
was the fear that the next moment the walls
would come topping over and bury oil the in
mates beneath the ruins. But no crash OF fall
ing walls followed the explosion, and the panic
was soon over. Jailer Folz was the first TO act,
and Yves at hand when ONeill recovered him
self and flung open Lingg's door. Through the
ribbons OF smoke it could be seen that the
little cell was in great disorder. Books and pa
pers were scattered about the extinguished
candle lay under the table. the blankets had
fallen from the cot. and upon the floor and
clinging TO the walls and furniture were pulpy
and hard substances, the nature Of which was
n { at the moment apparent.
The prisoner himself lay quietly upon his
right side, with both hands hanging as though
in languor over the side of the CO.. Folz and
ONeill seized him and drew him into the light
The sight disclosed was lorror itself. Lingg 8
bead fell on his breast. while from his mouth,
IL the black and shapeess ori1ice could still
bear the name, there poured torrent of blood.
The nature of the wound open evidence
of its method OF infection. The desperate man
had discharged an explosive in his mouth with
the design, doubtless, of blowing his head from
his shoulders. He had failed of his complete
purpose, but had succeeded in accomplishing
an injury which, had il not ended in death,
would have left him n living monstrosity.
Many among the men who gaZed upon the dy-
ing anarchist had witnessed death and dis
hguration in almost every form, but recoiled at
this horror. Linggs entire lower jaw, the up
per bony palate. the teeth, tongue, glands and
all the lower structure of his head, excepting
only the outer flesh, ha been blown out
through his lips, SO that his face from his eyes
down hung like n hideous sack upon which his
nose was a sbapeess protuberance. IL was
teeth. blood, bones, and flesh upon which the
jailers trod and which they saw upon the walls
and furniture.
In the rush OF discharging matter the lips
had been slit and distended that they hung
in thick, welted flaps that stirred as the blood
and air from the lungs gushed through them.
More frightful still, to the men who brought the
first relief. he Conscious, and looking up
into their faces, groaned deeply.
Lifting him as tenderly as they might in the
excitement, they carried him from the cage,
out of the cell hall through the office to the
bathroom, where n cot was improvised The
surgeons promptly washed out the blood
clothed cavity that wGs once mouth, took up
and tied several Of the arteries. applied anti
septic treatment to the torn surface, enveloped
the whole III tanoa5es, and lay the hopelessly
injured man back to die.
1t was perhaps in keeping with his character
that Lingg should face a death so horrible with
composure and retain consciousness and per-
ception OF passing events until the drugs with
which the surgeons filled his veins overc anne
him. Shortly after the dressing OF his wounds
and as he did so it was noticed for the hrst
time that his left hand was shattered. The
thumb was broken and the flesh OF his fingers
lacerated.
writing block was held for him, and with q
pencil in his right hand he wrote the following
"Besser uniehnen am Ruecken. Wonn ich
liege kann ich NIGHT athmen." BETTER bolster
up my back when lie down cannot breathe
With this request the surgeons complied,
and raised him INTO sitting posture. Time
and again he signed for water, and this vas ad-
ministered him through a long rubber tube
thrust into his throat.
The instrument with which Lingg wrought
his destruction was percussion cap. In each
OF the four bombs found in his cell some days
before he killed himself there was one of these
caps. An object SO small could be concealed
about the person of n man SO Us TO battle the
closest examination. The cap consists merely
eter and three-quarters OF an inch long, half
filled with illuminate Of mercury, and with II
half-inch OF fuse attached Yet this small OBJ
ject explodes with the detonation OF a gun, and
with what violence Lingg's wounds attest.
After the surgeons had dressed his gaping
wounds Lingg was propped up on rough couch
in the bathroom anu heavy gray blanket
was thrown over him The surgeons had
stopped the profuse fow OF blood. but expressed
no hope for his recovery. Hypodermic iniec-
tons were made occasionally in the patient 4
right arm and breast and stimulants were
given, but they only served 10 prolong a life
fast ebbing away. The despsra man lived
exactly seven hours after the cap had exploded.
At the sound Of the explosion, Parsons, who
occupied the cell adjacent TO Linggs, was on
his feet, his face pressed close TO the bars OF
his CELL and, in loud voice, he cried:
Give me one Of those bombs. want to do
the same thing"
Parsons was still shreking out for a COM
panion-piece to the lingg article when the
deputies hustled him down stairs and into the
Jail Office, where he and his follow anarchists
| were thorouQhly scare he'd.